Elsie tittered happily. “You’re such a gentleman.”
Sarah had a hard time not giggling. He’d said exactly what the ladies wanted to hear and made sure they knew he’d be offended if they even suggested she was staying with him. Obviously, he wanted people to know she had a protector, but he didn’t want anyone to know her exact location.
The ladies chattered to Dante all the way out to the reception area, where he brilliantly ushered them out the door without making them feel unwanted.
Sarah waved at the two women as they disappeared around the corner and Dante pulled the door closed.
“You realize that you just let the whole town think that we’re an item,” Sarah told Dante reproachfully.
“Good,” Dante replied with a grin. “I was hoping they’d tell everyone. That way, every man in town will know that you’re not available. It will keep me from having to beat the crap out of any guy who touches you.”
She wasn’t available? It had been ten days since Dante had shackled her to his bed and made her lose her mind. “You’re being rather presumptuous, aren’t you?”
“Not at all,” Dante answered arrogantly. “I was the man who caused your first screaming orgasm, the first man to taste your—”
Sarah slapped a hand over his mouth to stop his flow of naughty words. “Stop.” They were in the reception area of her office, for God’s sake, and her office manager was still here. Kristin had needed to be privy to some of the information regarding Sarah’s attack and knew why Dante was there. But she certainly didn’t know that Sarah slept with Dante every single night, and dreamed up all kinds of dirty fantasies both awake and asleep. Sarah couldn’t think about that night ten days ago without her panties getting moist.
Who am I kidding? Just looking at him or hearing his voice makes me melt.
Dante’s hazel eyes were pinning her with a sinfully playful look, one that she was fairly certain no woman on earth could possibly resist. Unfortunately, Sarah knew that Dante was aware of exactly how his dirty mouth affected her. He lifted her hand from his mouth slowly, kissing her palm before letting it go. “They were your last patients. Let’s go.”
Sarah turned and went into the storage closet to grab her purse and hang up her white coat and stethoscope before joining Dante by the door. For once, she didn’t argue with him about wanting to take a walk. She’d worn a new pair of shoes from the wardrobe Emily had picked out for her, and her feet were killing her. Three-inch heels? What had Emily been thinking? Sarah loved the professional skirt and blouse, but her feet were aching from standing all day in very cute but very uncomfortable shoes. Thankfully, they were the only pair of heels Emily had bought that were quite this high.
She hopped into Dante’s truck and kicked off the heels with a moan of relief.
“What’s the matter?” Dante asked, hesitating before closing the passenger door.
“Shoe torture,” she answered with a frown. “My feet hurt.”
Dante closed the passenger door quickly and jogged around to seat himself in the driver’s seat. “You don’t like the shoes?” Dante asked with a scowl as he started the engine. “We’ll get different ones.”
“No,” Sarah answered hastily. “I like them. I just don’t think three-inch heels are designed for a working physician. I think they’re supposed to be worn for leisure occasions.”
Dante chuckled as he pulled onto Main Street and headed toward the peninsula. “Why would you want to wear painful shoes when you’re supposed to be doing something pleasant?”
“You know what I mean.” Sarah shot him a small smile. “They’re for going out to dinner, or to a wedding. They aren’t made to work in all day.”
They drove in a companionable silence for a while, Sarah rubbing each of her feet to get rid of the cramping.
Finally, she approached a subject that she knew he wasn’t going to like, but something they needed to discuss. “Dante?”
“Yeah?”
“You know that we can’t live like this forever. I need to start living a normal life again. Joe says that John might not surface until he sees me going about my normal routine.”
“Not happening,” Dante snarled. “I’m not leaving you vulnerable.”
“You can’t stay here forever. And I’ve lived most of my life isolated. I’m grateful that you’re protecting me, but I have to move on from this. If putting myself back into a normal routine will help flush John out, I’ll do it.”
Dante accelerated through the gate of the peninsula so hard that his tires burned rubber. He didn’t speak as he drove into his driveway and parked the truck. Sarah waited, as usual, in the truck while Dante checked out the surroundings. He jerked open the passenger door.